Middle Way
Tue, Nov 10, 2015

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Welcome back from the mid-week break! I hope everyone got some much needed rest before we jump back into the fray.

I've stolen the title of today's concept from Buddhism, which is "The Middle Way." The main point is this: beware the seduction of extreme viewpoints. An "extreme" viewpoint is one that overly generalizes or simplifies a complex issue. This kind of mindset is attractive because it allows one to avoid making critical distinctions. Racism and sexism are the biggest examples. These prejudices exist because they're easy. It's difficult to think of each person as a unique individual. It's much simpler to lump people into little groups and make assumptions about them based on race or gender.

However, there are many smaller, insidious examples of extreme viewpoints that pervade everyday life. As I said, they are popular because they are simple and easy, and many people will try to take advantage of this fact to make personal profit. Most people love the idea of a cut-and-dry, black-and-white world. Democrats are this way. Republicans are that way. Our people do this. Their people do that. You just need to do this and you'll lose weight. You just need to do that and your life will turn around.

Ignore these snake oil salesmen, and make your own balanced judgments of each person and idea. You are your own mind!